Cricket: The Netherlands and Scotland to decide second qualifier for 2023 World Cup

When you are playing in a Super Six, a star qualifier for the elite World Cup, all that matters is a win. And Scotland has been doing it again and again while inching its way towards a passport to India for the 2023 World Cricket Cup.

After decimating the former World Cup champions West Indies, the Scots now accounted for the hosts, Zimbabwe, in a tight game.

Yesterday, the Netherlands kept its ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 hopes alive with a Vikramjit Singh-inspired 74-run win (DLS) over Oman.

So finally, the battle for the second and last spot in the 2023 World Cup in India will be decided by the game between the two European teams – the Netherlands and Scotland.

Singh’s maiden ODI century powered the Netherlands to a mammoth total as they set  a target of 363 for Oman to win.

Ayaan Khan responded with a ton of his own, but it proved in vain as Oman failed to pick up their first win of the Super Six stage.

The race for the second qualification spot has somehow gone in favour of the Netherlands as the hosts Zimbabwe lost to Scotland. The Dutch now need to win their final game to stand any chance of making it through.

Having been put into bat by Oman, Netherlands’ openers Singh and Max O’Dowd made a patient start, including sitting through a rain delay that shortened the match to 48 overs a side.

The duo’s century partnership was brought up off 103 balls before O’Dowd was bowled by Ayaan Khan for 35, ending the stand at 117.

Singh continued to motor as he reached his maiden ODI century from 102 balls before he was eventually undone holding out to mid-on having made 110 with 11 fours and two sixes.

In pursuit of what would have been their record chase, Oman lost regular wickets with Jatinder Singh run out on 17 before fellow opener Kashyap Prajapati departed for 25 to leave Oman 78 for three.

After Mohammad Nadeem was bowled by Aryan Dutt for 16, Ayaan Khan and Shoaib Khan rebuilt, putting on 112 for the fifth wicket, but they could not stop their side from falling well behind the required run rate.

Ayaan Khan reached his hundred off 84 balls having benefited from several slices of luck to get there as he was dropped three times early in his innings.

And the all-rounder was there at the end as bad light ended the game prematurely with Oman 74 runs from their DLS target.

Ryan Burl’s 83 looked as though it might get the hosts out of trouble, but he was dismissed by Michael Leask, Scotland’s hero on the day, taking Zimbabwe’s hopes with him.  The win moves Scotland level with Zimbabwe on six points in the Super Six, with one match still to play against the Netherlands.

With the Dutch also on four points, that game will decide who joins Sri Lanka in qualifying for the World Cup.

Zimbabwe could have secured a place in India with a win in this game, but instead saw its hopes vanishing with its net run-rate worse than both the Dutch and the Scots.

The other game of the day saw Ireland come out on top in a thriller against Nepal, winning by two wickets with four balls to spare to claim seventh place.

Big hitting down the order and crucial wickets saw Leask become Scotland’s hero.

Knowing that only a win would do in Bulawayo, Scotland battled to 234 for eight from their 50 overs, before some inspired bowling carried them through, despite Burl’s best efforts.

After being put into bat, Scotland started in measured fashion, a 56-run opening stand ended in the 17^th over when Christopher McBride was bowled by Tendai Chatara for 28. Opening partner Matthew Cross was next to go, the first of Sean Williams’s three victims, bowled for 38 to make it 102 for two.

Brandon McMullen made a run-a-ball 34 but followed shortly after, with Williams removing him and skipper Richie Berrington (7). Suddenly, Scotland were 118 for four with 31.3 overs gone.

George Munsey (31) mounted some resistance but at 170 for seven, hopes of a big score seemed remote.  Leask had other ideas, smashing 48 from just 34 balls, while Mark Watt’s 21 not out helped Scotland reach 234 for eight, with 54 runs from the last five overs really helping their cause.

Chris Sole (3/33) gave Scotland the dream start as Zimbabwe came out to bat, removing Joylord Gumbie caught behind off the very first ball. He added Craig Ervine and in-form Williams, before Innocent Kai7a was trapped leg before by McMullen to leave Zimbabwe in trouble at 37 for four.

Sikandar Raza (34) is a man for the big occasion and started to rebuild with Burl, but was caught on the boundary off Chris Greaves after a 64-run stand.  In came Wessly Madhevere, struggling for form but not short of potential. He and Burl started to find their rhythm and looked like they might swing the game back Zimbabwe’s way. They put on 73 for the sixth wicket, before Mark Watt provided the crucial breakthrough, getting Madhevere LBW for 40.

From there, Burl had to see his side through with the help of the tail, but no one could stick around. He took it upon himself to see home the chase, but after a four and a six off consecutive balls from Leask, he tried another big shot and could only find McMullen, departing for 83 with 38 still required.  That proved beyond the final pair, Safyaan Sharif finishing it off in style by bowling Chatara for two.

Ireland needed all 50 overs to chase down 269 as it wrapped up seventh place with a two-wicket win over Nepal.

Half-centuries from Harry Tector and Curtis Campher were crucial in its chase before the bowlers saw them over the line.  After electing to field, Ireland’s Craig Young (2/36) made an impact after coming as first change, removing Kushal Bhurtel (8) and Gyanendra Malla (7), both caught behind to leave Nepal 44 for two.

A 50-run stand between Arjun Saud (48) and skipper Rohit Paudel (29) kept the scoreboard ticking over, but they fell in the space of three overs to allow Ireland to get back on top.

Kushal Malla’s 38-ball 44 came to an end when he was caught by Tector of Barry McCarthy (2/63) but Sandeep Lamichhane (32) and Gulsan Jha (57 not out) provided some valuable runs down the order.

They added 80 for the eighth wicket, with Jha kicking on and hitting four fours and three sixes to take Nepal to a respectable 268 for nine from their 50 overs.

Karan KC (4/58) got the wicket of Andy McBrine (17) early in Ireland’s chase, soon followed by skipper Andy Balbirnie (1). And when Paul Stirling was bowled by Jha, Ireland were 60 for three and under some pressure.  Tector (60) steadied the ship with Lorcan Tucker (24) but when they were both dismissed, Ireland still needed 135 to win with half the team already gone.

Campher and George Dockrell came together for a crucial partnership, putting on 84 in 15 overs, Karan returning to get the crucial wicket of Campher for 62. Dockrell (33) was then caught off Kishore Mahato, leaving it to the bowlers to finish the job.  They did just that, Mark Adair with two boundaries in the 48^th over to bring it down to single figures.  Karan removed Adair (18) in his final over, leaving Ireland needing five off the last over with two wickets in hand. McCarthy did the honours, hitting a boundary to win it.

This was not the plan for the West Indies, whose hopes of making the World Cup are over with two matches still to play.

After losing to Zimbabwe and the Netherlands in their last two games of the group stages, the Windies then fell to a seven-wicket defeat to Scotland, ending their chances of making it to India later this year.

They now take on Oman, whose tournament has followed a similar trajectory, winning their opening two games before losing four on the spin. They have a chance for one final win in Harare, having shown that they are a dangerous batting sides in defeats to Zimbabwe and the Netherlands.